


Semi-Precious

by magical_nonbinary



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Live Action TV)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Lima Syndrome, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Origin Story, Princess Serenity (mentioned), Queen Beryl (mentioned), Queen Metallia (implied), Stockholm Syndrome, bisexual awakenings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-10-08 14:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17388224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magical_nonbinary/pseuds/magical_nonbinary
Summary: A young Prince Endymion rescues a band of petty criminals from death - only to find he needs rescuing from them instead. Despite this, he still finds himself falling for the group's leader, Kunzite, and wanting to protect the first real friends he's ever had from a terrible fate.Meanwhile, the forces of light and darkness battle over the destiny of this young man, who may grow to be the greatest king the Earth has ever seen.





	1. Act 1 - Prince

_"Prince Endymion, you have come of age and you would be ruler of this Earth if your mother were to pass. It is time for you to see this kingdom and learn how to protect it and its people. Come back when you have completed a deed worthy of a king."_

Endymion had been traveling for several weeks along the eastern coast of the Northern Counties, and he hadn't found anything or anyone who needed his protection. Most were happy to see a member of the royal family outside of the Terra Palace and so came running to him with all their problems. Unfortunately, these problems were along the lines of "Farmer Hino is using too much water out of my stream!" and "This land is common property and Rancher Tomoe is using it to graze his cattle!" and so on. Really, Endymion thought, he would be an expert on agriculture before he found something that would make his father and mother proud. 

"You really should go west, into the heart of the country," Beryl, daughter of Lady Quartz, had told him before he had left for his journey. She had tossed her wild red hair over her shoulder and had (rather pompously) told him, "It is truly a wild land out there. I went there once to hunt for the White Dragon with Papa and I honestly felt as though the people were more of a threat to public safety than the dragon!"

Endymion did not want to go into the west, precisely because Beryl had told him to. She could claim she had a part in his success (if he ever had any that is) and use it to gain more political standing and... well, his mother had hinted they would make an acceptable pair. Nothing horrified him more than being forced to marry someone he had known since childhood and considered a close (if sometimes annoying) sister.

But it soon became apparent as he traveled north along the coast that he would have no choice. The terrain was becoming more and more mountainous and his entourage of royal aids, cooks, tailors, bookkeepers, etc., and their carriages kept getting stuck in ruts in the muddy road. Besides, it was getting colder, and they could all see snow on the nearby peaks.

With a sigh, Endymion ordered his entourage to turn west, towards the setting, nearly full moon. 

They came to a small town at the base of a range of mountains. Endymion could swear he saw a wisp of smoke curl out of one of the peaks, as though it were on fire. The buildings, in contrast to the strong wood and stones that had made up the other towns, were made out of a flimsier, lighter wood, and what appeared to be mud bricks. The people here were far less happy to see a one hundred-strong brigade of royal attendants and their royal guard. 

A man dressed in battle armor greeted them at the largest building in the center of the town. The building bristled with stakes along the edges, and guards holding loaded crossbows peered at them out of tiny slits in the wall.

Endymion spoke first, trying not to let his voice crack, "I am Prince Endymion, heir apparent of the Terra Kingdom. I am charged with the duty of protecting these lands. To whom am I speaking?"

The man bowed stiffly and not nearly as deep as he could have, even in armor. "Lord Endymion, welcome to Edulis. I am General Chiral. My people are pleased to be under your protection."

As he spoke, a man leaned out of a nearby window and emptied a chamber pot onto the street below, narrowly missing the captain of his guard.

As the captain squawked at the man, Endymion tried to stifle his laughter. "Thank you for your hospitality, General. My soldiers will spend the night across the river if that is agreeable..."

The General led him through the stronghold as they negotiated lodging the rest of the royal entourage, plus food and fresh horses. Even as he talked, Endymion felt his mind wandering. He had done this a million times before. 

"I will show you to the record-keeper's house. She will help you to best decide which tasks require your most immediate attention," the general was saying as they walked through the courtyard of the stronghold. Endymion nodded out of habit. He glanced up at the decorations around the courtyard. Steel cages on tall poles stood around a central platform where a simple wooden block sat. The cages looked like birdcages, but they didn't seem to hold any birds. An odd sort of decoration, Endymion thought. Odd that the people even had decoration here since they seemed so run-down. Still, some of them had human statues in them -

Those weren't statues.

Endymion stopped in his tracks to gape at the nearest one. What was once a person had sat the cage, but they were very clearly dead now. No muscle or skin remained on their bones. In the next cage, a man with stringy black hair lay against the bars, his bare feet dangling out the sides. Endymion counted sixteen cages in all, fourteen of which were occupied.

The general noticed his stare and tapped the pole holding the black-haired man's cage. "Pardon me for taking this route, I should have realized this would seem barbaric to someone from an upbringing such as yours."

"Who are they?" Endymion asked. The man in the cage stirred slightly, and peered at him with one dark amber eye. With a start, he realized that the man could not be more than a few years older than him. Three of the other prisoners looked young as well, one of whom he would even consider a child.

"Criminals. The fresh ones are from a recent counterfeiting ring we broke up."

Endymion pointed at the youngest, with curly blond hair, "He's so young, you will release him soon, won't you?"

The general smirked and shook his head. "No, my Lord. The punishment for counterfeiting the currency of the Terra Kingdom is death."

"You can't possibly-" Endymion protested, his voice cracking.

"As I said, barbaric to those who live a naive life in a palace. You've been taught everyone deserves a second chance, have you? Well, Prince, if we gave everyone a second chance here, we would all wake up with our throats cut and our gold missing. It is terrible, yes, but it is necessary."

The general turned away from the prisoners and beckoned Endymion to follow him. "Now, my Lord Endymion, you have other matters to attend to. I believe your highest priority will be legitimizing the village priest. He is a very wise man…"


	2. Act 2: Cage

Endymion had spent the rest of the night attending to the tasks that General Chiral had set him. Or at least, his body was. His mind was back in the courtyard. Those boys - he couldn't imagine being able to run a scheme worthy of the death penalty at his age, he could barely keep a straight face long enough to pull a simple prank. Then again, the general had told him he was young and naive and after all, he hadn't even gone farther than a kilometer away from his home before this mission.

But still, they were so young and it was cold out. 

Endymion had the fire in the hearth lit, and was buried under several blankets and was still cold. He couldn't imagine being trapped in a metal cage in the open with next to nothing to wear. He had to put them out of his mind, a Prince couldn't even think about leaving his nice warm bed, betraying the hospitality of his hosts, running out into the cold of night to free a couple of petty criminals from their fate, no matter how pretty their eyes were.

The full moon slipped out from behind the clouds and shone through his window, and suddenly, Endymion was dousing the fire and pulling on his boots over his sleeping robes. He slipped as quietly as he could out of his room and down into the courtyard. The cages stood silently in the center as they had when he had arrived for the first time. He couldn't see any movement inside, he could be too late, and they could already be dead. Besides, the moon was so bright out and he had nowhere to take them when he got them out of the cages, so there was really no point in trying was there?

The moon slipped back behind a cloud, and a wagon pulled through the main gate. Endymion hid himself behind a pillar. A guard hopped out and knocked on a nearby door. Another sleepy guard pulled himself out and began to speak with the driver. Endymion could hear her say something about "food supplies for the stuck-ups". They talked for a moment longer, and after several loud yawns from the second guard, they walked back into the stronghold building. 

This was his chance, Endymion thought. He suddenly noticed a ladder leaning against the stronghold wall and ran over to grab it, hoping that no guards were looking at the courtyard. He took it the cage where he had seen the black-haired man. He held his breath as he reached the top of the ladder; the smell was putrid. In his mind, this rescue had not been nearly this smelly.

The figure in the cage stirred. The man opened his eyes and looked at Endymion. He felt his heart skip a beat. The man had high cheekbones and held himself like a prince, despite being half-naked and covered in - something Endymion didn't want to think about.

"I'm getting you out of here, be as quiet as you can." Endymion whispered to the man. The prisoner nodded, gathering himself into a sitting position.

"How did you manage to get the keys from Chiral?" the man whispered. Again, Endymion's heart fluttered. The man had a melodic voice and was so close to him, he could see his long eyelashes. 

Right, the keys. He did have the keys - No, no he didn't. He had something better though. He fumbled in one of his boots for the magic knife his Great Aunt Zirconia had given to him for his tenth birthday. She had told him it would open any lock, so long as his heart was pure. Or something along those lines, he had never tried it. 

He nearly dropped it off the ladder as he tried to find the lock.

The man in the cage scoffed. "Some rescue."

Endymion finally found the lock and pushed the knife in. Nothing happened. Sweating, he retorted, "I could leave you in here, you know. Don't be rude."

"Rude, my ass. Get me out of here, pretty boy."

The knife slipped and Endymion cut his hand. To his surprise, the lock stubbornly creaked open. He swung the door open, and backed down the ladder, trying not to drip his blood everywhere. The man climbed down after him. He staggered as he reached the ground, and Endymion grabbed his shoulders to hold him up. The man pushed him away, and stumbled over to one of the other cages.

"Bring that ladder over," he hissed as Endymion. Once the ladder was in place, the man climbed up to reach the person in the cage.

"Kunzite," the person breathed,” You came back for me-"

"Don't be an idiot; of course I came for you. Give me that knife, boy."

Endymion reluctantly handed him the knife. But the man, Kunzite, didn't have as much luck as Endymion had. Finally, he gave up and handed it back to him.

Endymion again climbed the ladder and placed the knife in the lock. This one opened almost immediately. The prisoner inside climbed out, reaching to Endymion for support. The faint moonlight hit his white hair, nearly dazzling Endymion.

"Thank you, thank you," he whispered as Endymion led him back down to the ground.

"Are there others still alive?" Endymion asked him.

The man nodded and pointed at two other cages, which Endymion remembered as the ones holding the younger prisoners.

The next cage held the young blond boy. He was still as Endymion opened the lock and pulled him out. His skin was clammy, but he was breathing slowly. Kunzite helped to lower him down to the ground, then pulled off Endymion's outer robe and wrapped it around the boy.

Feeling faintly irritated at being ordered around, Endymion turned to the final cage. Once he was at eye level with the cage, he looked into it - to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him, looking furious.

"Get. Me. Out." the man hissed.

Endymion opened the lock again (it was getting to be very easy now) and the man nearly fell onto him. Endymion caught him before he could fall any father, and noticed he was shaking. From fury or from the cold, he didn't know.

Endymion helped him down safely to the ground, and gathered the three others around. The blond boy was awake now, staring at Endymion with wide blue eyes. 

"You can take that cart and -"

"Hey! Who's out there?" a sudden shout came from the stronghold. Instantly, fire sprang up around the courtyard, illuminating the four prisoners and one scared prince.

Endymion's heart sank. If his father found out that he had broken the trust of a host, he would probably disown him. And if his mother found out - oh gods, he didn't want to think of that. So, he decided suddenly, they wouldn't.

He grabbed Kunzite's hand (his warm, calloused hand) and pulled him into a run towards the cart. 

"Stop! If you continue to flee, we will fire upon you!" yelled someone from the stronghold. Endymion ignored them. He pushed Kunzite into the cart, and reached back for the white-haired man. Guards began to spill into the courtyard, but all four prisoners were loaded in the cart.

The driver of the cart veered into his vison, swinging a sword. Endymion dodged her, pulling himself into the driver's seat. He fumbled for the reins - and then his vision nearly went black as a sharp pain exploded in his right arm. He found the reins somehow and got the horses and their cargo moving. He didn't care where they went, just as long as they could get away from the stronghold. 

He looked down - and wished he hadn’t. His blood looked black in the dim light as it poured out from an arrow embedded in his arm. They careened around a corner - Endymion wasn't driving but the horses clearly wanted to escape as much as he did. He could hear shouting in the background, but unless they had horses, they wouldn't be able to catch the cart.

They clattered out of the town and onto a dirt path going towards the smoking mountain. Endymion heard a sudden sound of bells. And it was going dark instead of light, and - oh, he was fainting. Those weren't bells, that was just all the blood rushing away from his head.

A strong arm snaked out from behind him and grabbed his waist. Was it Kunzite? Endymion didn't want to faint in front of him. That would be embarrassing. But he really couldn't keep control of his spine anymore and so fell back into the man's arms. He was probably trying to say something, but Endymion was falling again. It was so dark and his arm hurt, but he felt safe for now. He'd figure everything out when he woke up...


	3. Act 3: Knives

Well, that could have gone better, was Endymion's first coherent thought. His arm still hurt, but he was probably alive. He had fainted into Kunzite - he hoped that other man wouldn't think of him poorly after that. Speaking of Kunzite, had they escaped? Where was he anyway? He was lying on dirt, so he wasn't in a town, probably. 

As the fog cleared from his brain, he realized two things: there were people talking above him, and also someone had their hand inside his shirt. He forced himself not to react. He had gone over this in his training - when he found himself in a situation involving unknown people, the best thing to do was to pretend to be unconscious for as long as possible and figure out a plan. Besides, the hand seemed to just be searching for something, probably weapons, or valuables, Endymion thought. And, he noticed someone had bandaged his arm. He was sure they meant him no harm - 

"...And I still say we kill him," one of the voices was saying. Perhaps Endymion had figured wrong...

"No, Nephrite. We'll get more than enough money out of him," another was saying. Endymion's heart leapt. That was Kunzite's voice! "Do you think Juniperos or Angel's Isle would pay more?" 

"Angel's, definitely," said a voice directly over Endymion. He reckoned that the hand in his shirt and the voice belonged to the same person. "Besides, he is awfully pretty for a noble."

"Are you saying you find him prettier than me, Zoisite?" Kunzite said playfully, coming closer to Endymion.

"Mmmm, jealous? You know there's no one prettier than you, love." Endymion felt someone kneel down next to him. 

"You two are so gross!" yelled Nephrite's voice from across the way. 

There was a noise like someone smacking their lips, and Zoisite giggled, pulling his hand out of Endymion's shirt. "Only you would have the nerve to kiss someone when they've got their hands in another man's clothes."

Had the two kissed? Endymion had thought the two had seemed rather close for men during the rescue last night, but were they - courting each other?

Zoisite's hand returned, running down both of Endymion's legs. He hoped none of the men would notice he was blushing furiously. Thankfully, Zoisite finished his search quickly. 

"He's clear; I think we found all of the blades. Jadeite, how many did you get?"

"Eleven, uh, unless you count this shard of glass as a blade?" That voice sounded much younger than the others, Endymion reasoned it belonged to the blond. 

"Hmm? Are you sure Zoi?" purred Kunzite.

"Yes, I am sure. Check him yourself if you think I'm missing something."

"As a matter of fact," Kunzite said, walking over to Endymion's feet and kneeling down near them. With a sharp tug, he pulled off both of Endymion's boots. The magic knife came clattering out. 

"You forgot to check his boots, Zoisite!" laughed Jadeite.

"Oh." said Zoisite quietly.

Another set of feet scuffled over to where Endymion was laying. "That's a nice knife. And some nice boots. I wonder if he's ticklish - " Jadeite said, barely touching a finger to Endymion's small toe.

He was very ticklish, as a matter of fact. He gasped and pulled his foot back, his eyes fluttering open.

"You woke him up, you dumbass!" yelled Nephrite. 

The other two - Zoisite nearly sitting in Kunzite's lap - scrambled to their feet. Jadeite threw himself on top of Endymion's legs. Endymion moved to throw him off, but in doing so moved his right arm and nearly blacked out again from the pain. While he was distracted, another man jumped on him and pinned his left arm. Endymion turned to see the very angry man - Nephrite? - from last night. 

"Hold on -" he started to say, but Zoisite had pounced on his right arm and shoulder, though thankfully he avoided the injured parts. Had Endymion been uninjured, he might have been able to throw off his three attackers, but in his current state, he could do nothing but squirm and try to maneuver his toes into a position that might annoy Jadeite. 

Kunzite stepped over Zoisite and stood over Endymion. "I'd advise you to cooperate with us." Sometime before Endymion had woken up, he must have found a colorful vest, probably in their escape cart, and had put it on. It looked good on him, Endymion thought, but maybe he should focus less on that and more on the fact that the man had just pulled one of his own knives out of said vest.

He knelt down over Endymion, straddling his chest. Again, Endymion felt a blush creeping up to his face. Why would he feel like this in the presence of another man, let alone one who was threatening him with possible dismemberment and death? He snapped back to his senses and let out a loud yell.

Kunzite let him scream and thrash around until he tired himself out. The other three stayed just as steady at their positions on top of the rest of his limbs. Finally, Kunzite spoke again. "Sorry, Your Nobleness, whoever you are, the nearest town is ten kilometers away. Nobody can come to rescue you."

"I set you free. Why are you acting like this? I could have arranged to have the counterfeiting charges dropped -"

"I don't want the counterfeiting charges dropped. I don't care about this kingdom's little rules. I want money - all the money I can get my hands on. Money buys power. So," he said, bringing the knife down to Endymion's neck, "You're going to tell us who you are, so we know who to send our demands to."

Endymion shrank back from the knife, but kept his mouth shut. He could not let these men know who he really was. The Terra Palace had many political enemies. 

Kunzite pressed the knife into Endymion's neck, leaving a faint line of blood. "Did you hear me? I am going to give you ten seconds to start talking. At the count of eleven, I'm going to start removing your fingers. One."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"F-" Kunzite looked down at Endymion's collar suddenly, "What's this, a house crest? Zoisite you missed something else."

Endymion was still wearing the crest that bore the seal of the Terra Palace. He never took it off, even at night, and in the confusion, he didn't think that it could be used against him.

Zoisite reached over and pulled the crest out by its chain. He turned it over in his hands, and whistled softly.

Kunzite snatched it from him, "What does it say? Zoisite, I can't read this."

Zoisite sat back, "It says he's the crown prince of the Terra Kingdom. His name is Endymion."

"What, the entire kingdom? He's the prince of the whole damn -" 

Jadeite and Nephrite both started yelling at once. Zoisite looked very pale. Kunzite was quiet for a moment.

"Well, we've certainly got ourselves in a situation, now haven't we?"

"What now? Do we bring him to Angel's?"

"Don't be an idiot; we can't bring him to Angel's. We can't ransom him because the entire Terra Kingdom and their grandmothers will come down on our heads the moment he's safe." Kunzite snapped.

"You could release me. I swear on my life that I won't tell anyone what happened." Endymion suggested.

Kunzite put a (very filthy) had over his mouth, "Shhhh, Princeling, I am trying to think."

"Do the thing with your hair and turn him into a monster, Kunzite!" 

"How is that going to get us any money, dumbass?"

Jadeite shrugged, "Maybe we can get money from towns in exchange for not setting the monster on them."

"Just everyone be quiet, for a minute!"

The four fell silent. Endymion considered biting Kunzite's hand, but he was far too disgusted by the idea to go through with it.

Zoisite snapped his fingers, "The Dark Agency. They are the mortal enemies of the Terra Palace. They'll make us lords for turning him over."

Endymion shook his head.

But the others agreed with Kunzite.


	4. Act 4: River

_"Mama, what's the Dark Agency?"_

_"Where did you hear that name?"_

_"I overheard you and Papa talking about it last night. Can they really turn people into monsters?"_

_"To be honest, I have only heard that through rumors. Our scouts have not returned from their land in the Northern Counties. But from what information we have gathered... yes."_

_"And what do they do with the souls they've collected? You said something about removing their victims' souls."_

_"...My son. You must understand that however much they may pose a danger to this realm, I will never let them touch you or your father."_

 

But his mother wasn't here with him, was she?

Kunzite directed the other three criminals to navigate to the northwest, into the heart of the mountains. They had tied Endymion's hands to one of the wagon posts and threatened him with dismemberment if he tried to escape. Not that he was going anywhere anyway; Kunzite had stolen his boots. He had no idea how to navigate back towards civilization, and besides, the wagon had enough food and supplies to last them for at least a month. His only hope was to wait until they passed through another small town and throw himself on the mercy of the residents, hoping they could protect him from his captors and reunite him with his family.

His captors were treating him well at least. None of them really spoke to him besides during the occasional break to relieve himself or eat a meal. Jadeite often rode in the wagon with him, but rarely said anything. The other three walked outside, leading the team of horses through the rocky terrain. Endymion could sometimes hear snippets of their conversation, but Kunzite and Zoisite kept their voices down. Nephrite, when he joined a conversation, was the easiest to hear, in fact, the whole mountain range probably heard him.

"How much longer do we have to put up with this stupid wagon? I say we ride the horses and let the Prince walk!"

Kunzite chuckled softly, "Nephrite, if you want to carry all the supplies yourself, be my guest."

"Make the Prince carry the supplies! I'm tired of walking!"

"He has to arrive at the Dark Agency alive. And maybe in recognizable condition." said Zoisite.

Nephrite grumbled a retort Endymion couldn't hear and stomped up to the front of the wagon.

"Hey, Kunzite? I have to pee." Jadeite said, leaning across Endymion to yell out at his companions.

"Pee in the damn wagon, dumbass, I don't want to stop!" Nephrite yelled at him.

"Thought he said he didn't want to keep walking?" Zoisite said to Kunzite as they stopped the horses.

"Shut the hell up!"

Kunzite untied the rope attaching Endymion to the wagon and helped him down. Endymion rubbed his wrists to get the circulation flowing through them again.

"What's that noise?" Zoisite asked suddenly. They all paused to listen. It sounded like rushing water.

"Jadeite really did have to go, didn't he?" Zoisite laughed.

"It isn't me!" Jadeite said, popping out from behind a bush, "It's a stream! I think it's big enough to swim in!"

In fact, it was a small river and was more than wide enough to swim in. Endymion breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't bathed in about a week, and the other four hadn't since before they were locked in those cages. They all smelled terrible.

Nephrite looked very unsure as he peered in. "It's murky, there could be something hiding down there."

Kunzite paused in the middle of undressing himself, "Scared, Nephrite?"

"No! I think it’s disgusting water, I'm not going in!"

"Fine by us," said Kunzite, removing his trousers. None of the criminals wore undergarments, which couldn't have been comfortable at all, Endymion mused. "You can watch the Prince. Unless the Prince wants to join us?" He turned to face the two of them, and Endymion immediately dropped his gaze to the ground below, blushing.

"I'll just put my feet in," mumbled Endymion to a rock.

"You idiots are going to die of exposure." Nephrite said, plopping down on the bank with a sigh of frustration.

Endymion removed both his over- and inner- sleeping robes. He wasn't going to go so far as removing his trousers too - he'd be able to swim with them on anyway.

The water was extremely cold when Endymion stuck a foot in. He glanced over at the other three - how were they putting their heads under?

He was reluctant to go much farther than the bank, it dropped off very quickly into deeper water. It was so deep that Jadeite had to tread water to keep his head above it. Zoisite swam over to Endymion and reached out to grab his ankle.

"Please don't." Endymion told him.

"Alright, I won't" Zoisite removed his hand from his ankle, pouting.

Endymion backed up out of his reach - until he ran into someone else, standing behind him.

Kunzite sniffed Endymion's hair, "You need a bath, Prince."

"Wait, Kun-" But Kunzite had lifted him off the ground by his arms and walked into the water with him.

It was even colder in the deeper water. Endymion fought to get his elbows free, but his arrow wound flared with pain again, and Kunzite was able to wrestle him all the way into the river. 

"He looks like a wet cat now!" laughed Zoisite, swimming over to him with the grace of a selkie.

Endymion opened his mouth to retort - and found it filled with water as Zoisite pushed him under the surface. He came back up, spitting murky water and long white hair out of his mouth.

"Don't be so rude, Zoi." Kunzite laughed.

Zoisite shrugged, "I was only trying to drown him."

"Bunch of gross-ass lovebirds!" Nephrite yelled at them from the bank.

"He's just mad because he's single," said Zoisite. Kunzite made a noise of agreement, and swept him into a deep kiss. Endymion looked away, blushing again. 

There was a sudden furious shriek behind them - Jadeite had snuck up behind Nephrite and tackled him into the river. Nephrite surfaced and slapped at Jadeite, who swam away from him, splashing water. Nephrite dragged himself out onto the bank, shivering and glaring around at all of them through wet hair.

"Now he looks like a wet cat!" Endymion said. The other two laughed, and Endymion felt a burst of warmth inside of his chest. He didn't have many people back home who would laugh at his stupid comments. Beryl, maybe, but she had other motives. He didn't think he had ever seen his parents laugh. These four criminals, Endymion thought, were rough around the edges, but not too bad once you got to know them. Perhaps he could get them to see reason and let him go.


	5. Act 5 - Dance

After the five had pulled themselves out of the river, they lit a fire and dried themselves by it. It was getting dark and a crescent moon was rising, so they stopped travelling for the night. By the light of the waning moon, they could see the path stopped at the river, leaving no way for them to get across with a wagon. But maybe four horses could.

Nephrite complained excessively about having to go on horseback. ("Wasn't this what you wanted?" "No! I hate horses!"). The others weren't thrilled either. They'd have to abandon nearly half of their supplies and carry the rest themselves. Fortunately, Jadeite was surprisingly good with the bow and arrow he found in with the supplies, so they could always rely on hunting and foraging for food.

"But we'll have to leave behind the sake!" Zoisite complained, "I wanted to save that for when we dropped the Prince and got our reward!"

"Reward money will buy us more than enough sake, love," Kunzite told him. He opened a bottle from the wagon and took a swig. He grimaced, "And much better quality."

Jadeite opened a bottle and eyed the contents suspiciously. Nephrite snatched the bottle from him. "You are way too young for that!"

Zoisite removed the bottle from his hands gently, "And so are you. You and Jadeite may have one sip, and that is it." 

"Someone has to stay sober to watch our Princeling," said Kunzite, lifting a bottle in Endymion's direction. He hadn't put his vest back on with his trousers, and with all the grime removed, Endymion could see how muscular he was. Not like the guards who lifted iron weights in hopes of impressing the court ladies, but more lean and sinewy. He reminded Endymion of the Xin Empire acrobats who had once come to visit the palace. His hair was far less stringy now too - he had tied half of it up and it shone in the firelight. In between gulps of sake, Zoisite was braiding his own brilliant white hair. None of them had thought to tie him up again, which was definitely an improvement. 

When Nephrite and Jadeite had had their one sip of sake (a very long sip for Nephrite), Kunzite brought him the bottle.

"Ever had sake before, Prince?" He smirked

"Of course I have." Endymion shot back. It was true - but it was a very small amount at a cousin's wedding a few years ago. He took a large gulp from the bottle - and ended up spitting half of it back out because, oh gods, it burned. 

Kunzite and Zoisite cackled as Endymion struggled to keep the contents of his stomach inside said stomach. The sake he had did not taste like that! But he finally got his nausea under control and tried taking another small sip from the bottle. It burned a lot less than before, fortunately. There was an unpleasant aftertaste, so he drank more to cover it up.

Zoisite had turned his attention away from Endymion and brought out a small stringed instrument.

"Who'd you steal that from, Zoi?"

Zoisite nodded to the wagon, "Found it under the front seat. Dance for me, Kunzite?"

The stringed instrument was not one Endymion had ever seen before, but it made a deep, rich sound when Zoisite strummed it. Kunzite began a dance that seemed simple at first - twirling around and stomping each foot in time to the beat Zoisite had set. Then he added in arm movements, and then he started swaying his hips to the beat. It was entrancing to watch; Kunzite was far more graceful than Endymion would have thought. He was much better looking than the acrobats from Xin or wherever, anyway. 

Kunzite caught him staring, and danced over. Endymion tried to busy himself taking a drink from his sake - only to find there was none left. He really hadn't had all of that, had he? That was quite a bit - and oh gods Kunzite was in front of him. He placed his foot on the log next to Endymion and leaned over him, his hips at Endymion's eye level.

"Is the Prince pleased with my dancing?"

Endymion nodded wordlessly. He noticed a fine trail of hair starting below his navel and travelling down into his waistband. Which he should definitely not be staring at. He looked up into Kunzite’s face, looming so close to him. His lips looked so soft - he shouldn't be staring at those either. His head was buzzing and a tiny voice in it told him he was thinking about things that were bad but really, was it that bad to want to kiss someone? Yes, it was definitely bad to want to kiss the man who is holding you hostage, he decided suddenly.

Endymion leaned back to distance himself from Kunzite, and instantly overbalanced and fell off the log. Jadeite and Nephrite roared with laughter. Zoisite stopped playing and scoffed, "Kunzite, he's drunk. Quit harassing him."

Endymion struggled to right himself, but found it rather hard to get his limbs under control. Was this what being drunk was like? It felt nice, other than not being able to figure out his feet. Kunzite knelt down beside him, and with some effort, managed to pull him up. Endymion immediately stumbled back into him. Kunzite laughed, and wrapped Endymion in his arms.

"Little Prince, you have to stop making a habit of falling on me."

"M' not little," Endymion said. It came out rather slurred. 

"Of course not," Kunzite lifted him off his feet and carried him like a child to the wagon. Laying him down inside, he wrapped him in a blanket and left.

"He really is rather pretty, Zoisite," Kunzite was saying just as Endymion faded into sleep, "It’s a pity they're going to kill him..."


	6. Guards

Endymion woke up, and everything hurt. His head felt like someone was pounding on it with a hammer. His old arrow wound throbbed with pain. He should not have had all that sake, that was for sure. Not just because of the headache, but because he had fainted on Kunzite. Again.

He opened one eye and tried to focus on his surroundings. But it was so bright! And everything was so loud. Had the wind always been this loud? And Nephrite was yelling about something, which was terrible.

He tried opening another eye. It was still too bright, but things were coming into focus. He could see Zoisite and Kunzite shuffling around their campsite. Both looked like they were very tired as well. Good, at least Endymion wasn't the only one. He threw off the blanket Kunzite had wrapped around him last night (did he just dream that part?) and tried sitting up. He nearly threw up, and laid back down very quickly.

"Awake, Prince?" Kunzite asked him. His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse, like he had been shouting all night. 

"Did I really drink a whole bottle last night? I feel awful."

Kunzite smirked, "It was more like a half a bottle after Nephrite and Jadeite's share, but yes. You drank the entire half by yourself. You said something funny to me though - you were telling me where the Terra Kingdom keeps its gold."

Endymion's heart nearly stopped. Had he really been that drunk? He didn't remember it though -

Kunzite was laughing at his horrified face, "Only joking, of course."

Nephrite, clad in a canvas apron, poked Kunzite in the back and said "Oi, didn't you hear me? I made breakfast, you had better be thankful!"

It was a very good breakfast - Endymion had to admit. After he managed to stand without feeling like vomiting, he walked over to where the others were crowded around the fire. Nephrite seemed much calmer this morning, almost cheerful as he dished up a large helping of rice to each of them. The rice was excellent, but extremely spicy, so Endymion could only eat half of it before he felt nauseous again. Jadeite, who had finished his bowl and a second helping, looked longingly at Endymion's helping before he gave it to him.

"You pig, Jadeite!" Nephrite had caught them in the midst of their trade, "And you wasteful idiot Prince! Do you waste food like this in the palace? We could be eating all that food you waste -"

"I am eating his food." said Jadeite.

Nephrite sputtered angrily, "That's completely beside the point! You need to stop laughing if you know what’s good for you! You too -"

Zoisite suddenly stopped laughing, but it wasn't because of Nephrite's threats. Over the sound of the wind and the river, they could hear hoof beats.

Endymion stood to see who was there. If it was a kindly farmer or merchant, he could escape the four criminals and find his way back home. Then, once back, he could secure whatever gold the four wanted and they would surely come around to not wanting to break the law. Then they could all live in a nice cottage in the palace and Zoisite could play his instruments and Kunzite could dance and they'd all be happy then, wouldn't they?

That was the plan, but Kunzite had other ideas. He grabbed one of Endymion's shoulders in a tight grip, and with his other hand, held a knife to his back.

"Make any sudden movements, Prince, and this goes into your spine." 

Endymion froze, and Kunzite dragged him back to his seat on the log. To someone facing them, it would really just seem as though Kunzite was holding him in a friendly embrace. Which would be fine with Endymion, if the knife wasn't there.

The horses and their riders appeared in the clearing. It was better than a friendly farmer - the riders were wearing the armor of the knights of the Terra Palace! There were four, which was more than enough to subdue Endymion's captors. 

"I thought I smelt something delicious in the woods! Hello travelers, may we join your camp?" the leader, a grizzled old woman with a Captain's uniform and a warm smile said.

"Certainly!" Kunzite called to them, cutting off Nephrite who was brandishing a wooden spoon and looking furious.

"Can I ask your names?" the captain asked after she and her companions settled around the fire.

Zoisite nodded, "I am Zoisite, this is Jadeite, Nephrite, Kunzite, and, eh, Kunzite's brother, Aragonite."

While Zoisite was talking, Endymion adjusted the collar of his tunic. If his medallion with his house crest happened to fall out and someone noticed, well, that was just a coincidence.

Kunzite hadn't noticed. He still had an arm wrapped tightly around Endymion's shoulders and the knife pressed to his lower spine. But one of the guards did.

"Captain!" he shouted, flying up from his seat and pointing at the medallion, "It's the Prince!"

Everyone froze where they were for a moment, and the captain closed her eyes in exasperation. She stood, drawing her sword, "I was hoping we could convince you to come quietly, but clearly that's not an option anymore -"

"Clearly," said Kunzite, moving his knife up to Endymion's neck, where all of them could see it.

"Kunzite wait, please just cooperate with -"

Kunzite spoke over him. "Lower your weapons, or the Prince dies."

The captain did lower her sword but didn't sheath it. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Endymion took his chance and drove an elbow into Kunzite's abdomen. The man gasped and doubled over, leaving him free to escape. He ran to the knights, who shielded him from the others.

Zoisite sighed, "I really had hoped it wouldn't come to this." He stretched out one hand towards the guard on the captain's left. The man jerked suddenly and went limp.

"Shin, what are you -" the captain asked. But she was cut off as the man drove his sword into her chest.

The captain stepped back in shock, then crumpled to the ground.

Endymion let out a cry of terror as the man attacked his fellow soldiers. One went down as easily as the first, but the other put up a fight. He circled around the possessed soldier, backing towards the fire.

But Jadeite stepped behind him and stabbed him with a short sword. 

"Good work, Jadeite," said Kunzite, who had recovered. The last soldier walked over and stood in front of him, almost as if awaiting further orders. Kunzite slit the man's throat without any hesitation.

Endymion's mind raced. How could these be the same men that he had spent last night with - who had laughed at his antics and had danced so beautifully? They were murderers, and from the looks of things, this was not the first time they had killed.

Nephrite set down his cooking pot with a clang, which he had been holding protectively during the commotion. That snapped Endymion out of his thoughts. He scrambled to his feet.

Kunzite stretched out a hand towards him, "Now Princeling -"

Endymion fled from the clearing. He didn't care that he had no shoes or that he no idea where to go. He only knew that he had to put as much distance between him and the four as possible. He splashed through the river and out into the woods on the other side. He could hear the men shouting behind him, but he didn't pay any attention. Soon, the voices faded into the distance.

The forest seemed to get thicker as he ran through, branches scraping at his face and arms as he ran past. He could feel twinges of pain in his feet, but it was almost as though the pain couldn't break through into the cloud of fear that surrounded his mind.

He had to get away from them - if he got far enough away then he could wait them out for a night or two and double back to the campsite and grab the supplies they had left behind and find his way back through the mountains. He knew the general direction he had to go in, which had to be enough.

Endymion slowed as time wore on. His body was getting so tired, but his fear was not fading at all. In fact, it was getting worse. If he slowed down now, someone would probably catch up to him and take him back and then he'd have to face the Dark Agency -

He stumbled over a log and fell to his knees. His body was so shaky and he felt like he was severely ill. He turned his head and vomited into a nearby bush. Once he was done, he tried to stand, but found his legs would not obey him. 

A twig crunched behind him, and he turned to see Kunzite striding up to him. How had he caught up?

Endymion felt another shock of fear flash through him, and he stood and started to run again. But he was still weak, so he couldn't be moving that fast. He turned to look back at Kunzite, who was still following him. The man seemed to be in no hurry, walking behind him as though he was taking a simple stroll through the woods.

Endymion tripped again and nearly fell headfirst into a thorn bush. He stood and looked back. Kunzite was standing a distance behind him, leaning against a tree. Was the man playing with him?

He continued running for as long as he could, but eventually his legs gave out underneath him and he fell to his knees. Finally, Kunzite caught up.

"Prince, did you think we would be magically redeemed the moment you freed us from our cages?" he said softly, "We're monsters, and we'll remain monsters no matter what you do. Do not expect anything more of us."

Endymion let out a sob. He had been so naive, just as General Chiral had accused him of being. Kunzite stroked his hair gently. But Endymion couldn't get the image of him killing the unresisting guard out of his head. 

He slapped Kunzite's hand away and tried to stand again. "Don't touch me!"

Kunzite pushed him back down into a kneeling position, "You have such fight in you. Promise me you won't let them take it away from you."

Endymion heard the rattle of chains behind him. Kunzite snapped one heavy manacle onto each of his wrists. They were back to where they had started - Endymion was a prisoner again.

Kunzite lifted him up by an uninjured arm and began to pull him away. Endymion planted his feet and pulled back. He didn't care if it wouldn't get him free, he was determined to make this as difficult for Kunzite as he could.

Finally, Kunzite gave up on pulling him and released his arm. Endymion overbalanced and immediately fell to the ground.

"Get up and walk, or I'll drag you back to camp." 

Endymion stayed where he was.

"Fine." Kunzite grabbed him by his ankles and threw him over his shoulder as though he was a sack of rice. Endymion kicked at his arms, trying to reach his face. Kunzite didn't seem to notice, or care. He yelled some more, and tried to free himself by throwing his weight around and overbalancing Kunzite. That didn't work either, so he finally went limp. Frustrated tears sprang to his eyes. He couldn't even escape Kunzite. What hope did he have of making his parents proud of him?


End file.
